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ACROSTIC  SONNETS 


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AND 

OTHER   POEMS 


BY 


J.   E.   O'CONNOR 


ACROSTIC  SONNETS 


AND 

OTHER    POEMS 


BY 


J.    E.   O'CONNOR 


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CONTENTS 


TITLE 

ACROSTIC  SONNETS 
Fine  Arts'  Palace 
Charles  E.  Hughes 
Patrick  H,  Pearse 
Golden  Gate  Park 
Mount  Tamalpais 
Yosemite  Valley 


PAGE 

I 

2 

3 

4 

5 
6 


AN  ACROSTIC 

William  Jennings  Bryan 


OTHER  VERSES 

William  Jennings  Bryan 
A  Sonnet 

"A  Chain  o'  Lakes"  Reverie 
"The  Thinker". 


8 
9 

lO 

II 


COPYRIGHT   1916  BY  J.   E.   OXONNOR 


34^6oG 


A  N 

ACROSTIC 

SONNET 


T 
O 

T 
H 
E 


i 

^^ 

W 

air  Vision,  beautiful  rvithout  a  mate 
In  all  the  Tvorld,  art  Thou  lil^e  mist  to  flee? 
Na^,  here,  O  Captive  Dream,   Th})  home  must  he. 
Enthroned  forever  by  the  Golden  Gate. 


^h.  Weeping  Maidens,*  grieve  not  at  your  fate; 
Rejoice  instead  to  dwell  here  by  the  sea. 
Through  all  the  ages  to  eternity. 
Served  as  rvithin  no  other  land  or  state. 

da/eJgc  Jve  our  word  on  this  Commencement  Day, 

At  Maybeck^s  Marvel,  loved,  Olympian: 

Let  on  our  path  befall  whatever  may, 

A   backward  step  from  what  we  here  began 

Can  never  be  but  ONWARD  IS  OUR  WAY, 

Exalting  Art,  ennobling  Life  and  Man. 


*"Weeping  Maidens" — the  popular  appellation  of  the 
statues   on  the  Colonnade. 

(Reprinted  from  the  San  Francisco  "Examiner"  of 
Dec.  4th,  1915,  "Closing-  Day"  of  the  Panama- 
Pacific    International    Exposition.) 


AN 

ACROSTIC 

SONNET 


T 
O 


jhoice  of  Convention  and  Columbia, 


Hail  to  Thee,  Leader,  learned,  calm,  sedate! 

America  to-da\)  with  glee  elate 

Rejoices  from  Maine  to  California. 

Let  *'hellofists**'^  retire  to  Africa; 

Enough  Tve*ve  had  of  preachers  of  race  hate. 

Shall  jingos  bring  upon  us  Europe's  fate? 


(^r' 


iZniphaticl})  NAY  sa\fs  America. 


iMa/7,  Harbinger  of  Peace  with  all  the  world. 
Uniting  all  our  people  for  one  goal, 
Cuiding  the  Ship  of  State  with  flag  unfurled. 
Hurrahed  b^  all  not  hissed  from  pole  to  pole. 
Extending  aid  to  those  in  war's  hell  hurled. 
Standing   lil^e   Christ    'gainst   Mar's   and   Mammon's 
toll! 


•"Bellofist" — pronounced  "bellow-flst,"  with  the  em- 
phasis on  "bellow" — is  derived  from  the  Latin, 
like  "Pacifist"  (literally,  "peacemaker"),  and 
means   in   hyphenated   Anglo-Saxon,   "war-maker." 

(June  11th,  1916,  the  day  following  Mr.  Hughes' 
nomination   for   the   Presidency.) 


A  N 
ACROSTIC 
SONNET 


T 
O 


atriot,  Mari'^Ty  slain  for  Liberty! 
Among  the  names  that  will  forever  shine 
To  light  men  upward  to  the  heights  divine^ 
Refulgent  in  Fame's  firmament  will  he 
Ireland's      new      heroes':     PLUNKETT,      COiW- 

NOLLY. 
CLARKE,     DALY,     PEARSE,     McBRIDE, 

MacDONACH,  THINE,— 
Knights   worthy  of  Hibernians  fairest  shrine. 

'!^ere*s  to  Their  and  Thy  sacred  memory! 

jj^eace  to  Your  ashes  and  eternal  rest! 

E'en    though    overcome    by    might    as    were    JOHN 

BROWN 
And   WARREN,  like  the  bravest  and  the  best. 
Receiving  as  did  They  the  Martyr's  crown; 
So  Ye  who  died  for  Liberty  are  blest, — 
E'en  dead   Ye  live  to  shal(e  'Wrong's  temple  down. 


(Reprinted    from    the    San    Francisco    "Examiner"    of 
May    9th,    1916.) 

Note. — On  May  8th,  1916,  when  the  above  was  written, 
the  names  of  the  following-  heroes  had  not  then 
been  added  to  the  roll  of  Erin's  Martyrs:  M. 
O'HANRAHAN,  EDMUND  KENT,  CORNELIUS 
COLBERT,  J.  J.  HEUSTON,  MICHAEL  MALLON, 
THOMAS  KENT.  SEAN  McDERMOTT,  F.  S. 
SKEFFINGTON   and  SIR  ROGER  CASEMENT. 


AN 
ACROSTIC 

SONNET 

T 
O 


em  of  earth* s  gems,  O  Western  Paradise 
On  the  Pacifiers  California  shore. 
Like  famed  Elysium  of  classic  lore 
Dost  Thou  for  all  mans  soul^s  desires  suffice. 
Enamored  with  Th}f  charms  not  once  nor  twice 
Nor  thrice  hut  ten  times  ten  and  man^  more 

Q^one  have  I  to  this  Eden  at  our  door 

And  found  therein  a  peace  beyond  all  price, 

T ent-and-V erse-M al^er  Omar  sang  of  wine. 

Extolling   the   grape,   asf^ing  when   he   died 


j^ersian  friends  in  a  vine})ard  would  consign 
All  that  remained  of  him,  there  to  reside. 

Renouncing  Mahmud^s  bliss  for  the  grapevine, 

Kha'^^am-like  here  forever  would  I  abide. 


A  N 

ACROSTIC 

SONNET 


T 
O 


ajestic  Watcher  o*er  the  Golden  Gate, 


O  Sentinel  beside  the  Sunset  Sea, 
Ultima   Thule's  last  outpost,  westerly^ 
Nomadic  man  no  further  can  migrate. 
Though  standing  lil^e  a  sentr})  obdurate, 

(jjo  n^ard  intruders  off  apparentl^^ 
Apply^ing  harsh  ''repeller^'  unto  Thee 

Most  wrongly  would  Thy  nature  designate. 

Attracting  all  who  from  THE  CITY  flee. 

Loved,  not  feared  like  Thy  brothers  desolate. 

Proud,   frigid,   snow-capped  from   eternity, 

A  WELCOMER  OF  ALL  HUMANITY, 

Is   Thy  best  title  and  Thy  grandest  trait. 

Superb,  surpassing  hospitality. 


A  N 

ACROSTIC 

SONNET 


T 
O 


le  TowWing  Cliffs  and  Ye  Far-Falling  Streams! 


0  Valley  of  the  Cods,  Thou  Wonderland, 
Shaped  h})   the  Might))  Sculptor's  master  hand. 
Excelling  all  mans  most  colossal  schemes! 
Mute,   overan^ed,   to  me  once  more  it  seems 

1  stand  upon  exalted  C LACIER  and, 
Transfixt  tp  Th^  stupendous  glories  grand. 
Enraptured  gaze,   thrilled  b^  a  thousand   themes. 

l^ERNAL  the  exquisite,  unrivalled,  queen, 

AHWAHNEE"^  guarded  h\)  the  SENTINEL, 
LAKE,   mirror  of   Th"^  grandeur,   calm,  serene, 
Lil^e  BRIDAL'S  mist  across  m})  memWy  float. 
Enchanted  Vale,  still  haunts  m\)  soul  Thy  spell, 
YOSEMITE,  like  some  great  organ  s  note. 


•"AHWAHNEE"   was  the  Indian   name  for  the  Valley 


AN 
ACROSTIC 


T 
O 


/ 

orld's  foremost  Man,  Thrice  Leader,  Thee  we  greei,- 
Invincible  despite  Corruption  s  gold, 
LiJ^e  Libert"^  triumphing  6*er  defeat. 
Like  **  Truth  crushed*'  rising  stronger  and  more  hold. 

II 

Incarnate  Spirit  of  Democracy, 
America  Thine  aid  doth  now  invoke, 
Ma}f  Thou  Thy  Country  wrest  from  plutarchy, 
Must  as  did  Washington  from  alien  yoke. 

Ill 

Enshackled  Labor  lifts  to  Thee  his  hands 

Now  bound,  his  lips  closed  by  Injunction  s  thongs. 

Not  privilege  but  justice  he  demands. 

In  Thee  he  has  a  friend  to  right  his  wrongs. 

IV 

Not  for  an  empire  but  Republic  free 
Cave  the  Forefathers  their  hearts*  sacred  gore. 
Sweep  from  the  throne.   Their  Spirits  call  on   Thee, 
^etrayers  of  their  trust;  Their  work  restore. 

V 
**Rienzi  of  the  West,*'  great  Tribune  hail! 
Years  hast  Thou  battled  Against  Right's  foes  malign; 
Among  the  names  that  will  o'er  death  prevail. 
No  name  deserves  to  live  more  than  does  Thine. 


(July    10th,    1908,    the   day   Mr.    Bryan    was   chosen    for 
the    third    time    the    Leader   of   the    Democracy.) 


GREETINGS  TO  WILLIAM  JENNINGS  BRYAN 

"First  in  Peace  and  First  in  the  Hearts  of  His  Countrymen." 


o 


Welcome,   William  Jennings  Bv^an! 

Welcome!  and  })our  sia^  prolong. 
We  who've  loved  you,  love  you  more  now 

For  your  gallant  stand  'gainst  wrong. 
From  our  peaceful  homes  and  workshops. 

From  our  plains  and  seashores  long. 
From  our  farms  and  from  our  cities, 

'Round  your  standard  millions  throng. 

II 

Warrior  upon  war^   Welcome! 

Peace's  Chieftain  brave  and  strong. 
Conqueror  by  love  and  reason. 

Not  by  sword  or  gun  or  thong. 
Better  than  a  horde  of  jingos 

To  protect  us  from  war  wrong. 
Is  the  man  beloved  and  honored 

From  the  Andes  to  Hong  Kong. 


Ill 

Welcome  to  our  ** Jewel  City" 

In  the  land  of  sun  and  song! 
Welcome  to  ten  thousand  firesides 

Which  to-day  to  you  belong! 
You  have  won  our  hearts'  devotion. 

Battling  ever  'gainst  the  strong, 
PEERLESS   PLEADER   FOR   EACH   JUST 
CA  USE, 

FEARLESS  FOE  OF  EV'RY  WRONG. 


(July   5th,  1915,  "BRYAN  DAY"  at  the  Panama-Pacirtc 
International  Exposition.) 


8 


A     SONNET 


Ithough  I  met  Thee  first  but  yesterday. 

It  seems  to  me  our  souls  have  l^nown  before 
In  some^past  age,  on  some  celestial  shore. 

Ere  doomed  to  dwell  within  these  prisons  of  clay. 

One  image  ever  o'er  m\j  thoughts  held  sway 
And  I  did  often  ask  if  earth  eer  bore 
A  being  like  to  her  I  brooded  oer; 

But  years  passed  on  and  none  did  cross  my  way. 

But  when  Thine  Angel  Face  mine  eyes  beheld. 
My  soul  Was  thrilled  with  sweetest  ecstasy. 

For  then  I  k^ew  that  on  the  earth  there  dwelled 
The  Being  divine,  etherial,  heavenly. 

Whom  but  a  dream  though  long  to  think  compelled. 
At  last  I  knew  was  a  reality. 


A  "CHAIN   O'  LAKES"  REVERIE 


erenel\f  shines  the  full  Ma})  Moon, 
Bathing  the  hills  with  gentle  light. 

/,  b\)  a  Tvoodland  la^e  asTvoon, 

Sit  dreaming  filled  rvith  pure  delight. 


II 

The  Zephyffs  n>ander  thru  the  trees 

And  sweetest  fragrance  with  them  hear; 

And  from  across  the  lal(e,  the  breeze 
Wafts  heav'nl})  music  on  the  air. 


Ill 

All  this  mp  soul  feels  and  much  more. 

When  thought  of  THEE  steals  oer  mp  rrxmd, 
MOONLIT      LAKE!      MUSIC!      SYLVAN 
SHORE! 

BREEZE    LADEN     WITH    PERFUME! 


com 


bined. 


(The   "Chain   o'   Lakes"  are   in   Golden  "Gate   Park,   San 
Francisco.) 


10 


RODIN'S      ^^LE      PENSEUR" 


pon  a  rock  THE  THINKER  sits  and  thinks. 
His  head  upon  his  hand,  and  never  blinks 

An  e^e  hut  steadfast  gazes  on  the  ground. 
As  silent  and  as  solemn  as  the  Sphinx. 


II 

What  might])  thoughts  are  horn  within  that  brain? 
What  dreams  are   dreamt?     What  songs  are  sung? 
Explain, 
O  THINKER,  what  Thou  thinkest  of,  I  beg. 
And  make  for  once  and  all  Th^  meaning  plain. 

Ill 

Methought   THE   THINKER  from  his  seat  arose; 
Methought  he  spoke  and  what  do  ])ou  suppose 
[  heard?     Well,  this  is  what  he  said  to  me: 
**rm  thinkin    how  Til  get  a  suit  o*  clothes.*' 


(Reprinted    from    the    San    Francisco    "Examiner"    of 
March  29th,  1916.) 


U 


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RESS    PRiNTIN 
.210  SIXTH   •TNI 
SAN    ritANCISCO 

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UNIVERSITY  OF  CAUFORNIA  LIBRARY 


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